New $2.4 billion naval manufacturing project opens in Barton, could create 1,000 jobs

Most Alabamians would not be able to point out Barton on a map, but the little community is about to have a big impact on not just The Shoals, but the state as a whole.

Secretary of the Navy John C. Phelan joined Sen. Tommy Tuberville, Rep. Robert Aderholt, Sen. Katie Britt and numerous local politicians in cutting the ribbon on a brand new $2.4 billion shipbuilding venture in Colbert County on March 20.

Manufacturing company Hadrian will be taking residence at the 2.2 million square foot facility at the Barton Riverfront Industrial Park near Cherokee to create a highly automated “factory of the future,” known as Factory 4 or F4, which will mass produce components for Virginia-class attack submarines and Columbia-class ballistic missile submarines.

The Navy has invested $900 million from the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. That combines with $1.5 billion in private capital.

“Both chambers of Congress delivered the generational investment required to rebuild our shipbuilding capacity, bring those jobs back to Alabama and put American skilled laborers back at the center of American strength,” said Secretary of the Navy John C. Phelan. “I look forward to building on this progress together in the months ahead, because we are just getting started. This factory is the first of three facilities designed to address the most critical bottlenecks in the maritime industrial base.”

According to Hadrian, the Factory 4 project is estimated to take 18-24 months from initiation to full-rate production, including stand-up of automated production facilities, qualification of components, compliance qualifications like submarine safety program and low-rate initial production.

By the third year, the facilities will operate sustainably through delivery of submarine product lines.

The factory is expected to bring up to 1,000 new jobs to Colbert County.

“That’s what we’re looking for is jobs. When you have jobs, you get people. And we want people,” said Colbert County Commissioner David Isom. “This is a great day for The Shoals. I don’t see how we can go wrong with an opportunity like this. I think it will be a really positive thing. I’ve never in my life seen (an event) this big.”

Once the guest speakers were finished and visitors had a chance to grab lunch, legendary Southern rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd played a concert to cap the event.

State Rep. Kerry Underwood, who was among the on-stage guests for the ribbon cutting, highlighted on social media where Hadrian said Congressman Robert Aderholt had “championed this milestone” for Northwest Alabama and The Shoals.

“It was a privilege to help open an event that has been years in the making, an effort that many worked toward and believed in,” Aderholt said. “This 2.2 million square foot facility will now be a symbol of U.S. defense, anchoring shipbuilding and maritime production in Northwest Alabama. Proving that maritime dominance is not just a coastal priority.

“This project didn’t happen by accident. It happened because people believed in this community, and because we made a deliberate effort to bring opportunities back to places that had been overlooked.”

Aderholt said during his speech at the ribbon cutting that this facility is only part of a much larger opportunity.

“I intend to keep working until that full potential is realized,” he said. “Because that’s what this community has always done. America needs sea power more than ever, and Alabama is up to the challenge. We will build a 21st century collaborative campus here that no conventional shipyard or industrial park can rival.

“By investing in workforce training and building the right partnerships, we made sure Alabama’s Fourth Congressional District would be ready when opportunity came and ready to compete for the kind of jobs that strengthen both our economy and our national security. And Friday, we saw that work pay off.

“This facility will help bring thousands of manufacturing jobs and new opportunities to Northwest Alabama. But just as importantly, it will help restore America’s ability to produce the tools necessary to defend freedom and maintain strength at sea. This is just the beginning of a stronger region, a stronger workforce, and a stronger United States of America.”

Tuberville said he “fought hard” to secure funding for the project as Alabama’s representative on the Senate Armed Services Committee.

“It’s been less than a year since President (Donald) Trump signed his Executive Order titled ‘Restoring America’s Maritime Dominance,’” Tuberville said. “And here we are today cutting the ribbon on this new manufacturing facility that will change shipbuilding forever. We are no longer limited by shipyards and coastline. We will build submarines, at least pieces of them, in Muscle Shoals, Alabama. Alabama is already a leader in space, defense, and cyber technology and now we’ll be leading the way in restoring America’s maritime dominance.”